Painting A Dreamer
by AmoriGoddessOfTheEarth
Summary: Kaoru is in college for art. She has it all: Popularity, Boys, Looks. The last thing on her mind was being serious with one boy. But for three years dreams of a man in the Meji period drives her to longing for him. When he appears in her school, things ch
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Hey! New story! I don't own RK and co. but I do own all the other characters! Here ya go! Enjoy!

Summary: Is it possible to love someone you've never met? Kaoru is a college student majoring in art. She has the perfect life: beauty, popularity, boyfriends. The last thing she has on her mind is true love, but when the man she had dreamed of for three years accualy comes to her college things change. For instance, how could things ever be the sam when the gumi find out they are reincarnations!

Chapter 1: The Man In My Dream

Kaoru's POV:

_Violet eyes and red hair. He was truly a sight to behold. His cross-shaped scar in his left cheek made his handsome face look roguish He stood there looking at me with love in his eyes._

"_Come on, Kaoru! The water is perfect!" He said waving as he swam in a small lake._

_I laughed and jumped in, making sure to splash him well. He was irresistible in his swimming kimono. I swam into his arms and we just floated in each other's embrace._

Normal POV:

"Briiing! Briing!" Kaoru's 'evil' alarm clock's shrill screech echoed inside her tired mind.

"God!" She grumbled as she slammed her hand down on the snooze button. Kaoru wrestled herself free of her black comforter with dragons on it.

"I hate morning." She complained as she walked down the dorm hallway to the girl's shower room.

Kaoru looked at herself in the mirror. Her crystal blue eyes shone tiredness. Her long raven black hair was glossy and messed up.

She was taking a shower and tried to wake up when the boys decided to take their annual girl's washroom raid.

The frat boys all charged into the girl's shower room but ran out as Kaoru whacked all of them on the head with her magic bokken. (It appears out of nowhere!)

"And don't let me catch you again!" She yelled after them. She showered and dressed, and feeling truly inspired, went to her dorm room to draw.

Kaoru grabbed a canvas and a charcol pencil. Slowly she traced two eyes, then a complete face. It was a boy, with long hair that was tied at the nape of his neck with a leather string. He had a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. She started to draw his neck and the top of his clothes when her stomach growled from lack of nurishment.

"Ach! Why now? I'll just finish his clothes then I'll go eat." She bargained with her stomach. Kaoru finished tracing the gi and ran to get some food.

She stopped at WacDonald's and drove straight back. (A.N. if you've read my other fics, just try and guess what her car looks like!)

"Hmm…I think I'll paint you." She said, staring at the black and white smiling face.

"Who's that? He's cute!" Kaoru's hyper roommate, Misao, said as she peeked over Kaoru's shoulder.

"That man I always dream about. He inspired me for my assignment." She explained as she started to paint his hair a brilliant shade of red.

"Oh. Cool." Misao sighed but perked up as she noticed a bacon, egg, and cheese WacMuffin on the coffee table.

"Mine!" She cheered as she lunged for it.

Kaoru shook her head and laughed. Then she colored in the strange man's eyes. A beautiful violet with almost unnoticeable golden specks.

Kaoru finished painting the handsome man after about two hours and a drying time of one. She picked it up and bid her friend goodbye as she headed to portrait class.

Her teacher, Ms. London, assigned them to paint a portrait of someone that made them feel special. Kaoru had a lot of people that made her feel special, but this guy made her feel like she was on a cloud. Even if he was fake, he was the best person and the only one that gave her inspiration.

"Now, class! Let us see who affects you enough to star in your painting." Ms. London said in her heavily accented voice. She was an old woman with an air of importance around her. She was French and resembled a horse alittle.

"Lady Kaoru! My most promising student! Grace us with your painting." She commanded.

Kaoru stood and smiled as she placed the portrait on the esel. "This man is the one that makes me feel important."

Ms. London looked at the painting with interest and pleaseure. "Very nice. And a beautiful man at that. And the dojo behind him makes a great background. He is indeed a work of art. Who is this young man?"

Kaoru closed her eyes and searched through her memories of the dreams with him, but no name came to mind. "I don't know his name, or if he is even real."

Ms. London looked at her and frowned slightly. "But, dear Kaoru, the assignment was to paint a person, not a fantasy man."

"He is a person. To me, he is the most dear person to me. I know he was real once." Kaoru objected.

Ms. London smiled fondly and her hard eyes softened for a moment. "Exactly. That is the kind of emotion I want from all of you! Thank you, Lady Kaoru."

Kaoru smiled as she received an A+ for her work.

"One question, though. Every great portrait has a title, what's yours? I need it for the grade." Ms. London asked softly.

"Hmm…the title of the painting is 'Once Apon A Dream'." Kaoru said with a grin.

"Very well." With that, the class was dismissed.

"So Kaoru! Come to dinner! Aoshi, Sano, Megumi, and I are going to the Akabeko!" Misao said jumping up and getting into a blue and pink kimono, with shorts instead of the hakama, with a huge bow. She had her long black hair back in a braid. The Akabeko was the most popular resteraunt in all of Tokyo. The thing was you had to be in traditional kimonos.

Kaoru grinned and put on her blue kimono. It had pink sakura petals all the way around it. It had a light pink obi and a light pink woven rope that dangled from around the waist.

They all arrived in time to be seated just before the rush hour of dinner-time traffic.

"May I take your order?" a small petite young woman asked kindly. "Oh, Kaoru-san, minna-sans! The regular?" She asked when she noticed who they were.

"Yup. Regulars all around! Thanks Tsubame" Sano said happily. He wrapped his arm around Megumi, who flipped her long raven hair behind her back and snuggled with him.

"Yo, sis! Got a guy yet? 'Cause I have a friend who's dying to meet you. He just transferred to Tokyo U." Sano said to his dear younger sister, Kaoru.

"I don't blind date! You know that!" Kaoru told him haughtily. Sano shrugged and dug into the food as it arrived, via Tsubame.

The gumi enjoyed their meal and went home to catch some z's.

Kaoru waited till Misao was sleeping happily, dreaming of Aoshi no doubt, before pulling out her portrait of the mysterious man in her dreams. She carefully hung it above her bed.

"Good night, my samurai of dreams." She whispered before turning out the lights and laying down to dream of the samurai with purple eyes.

Fin

The chappie is done! Well what didya think? Be brutally honest! I just thought of this idea and aint sure about it. But if I get 4 good reviews I may!

Luvs N Hugs:

AmoriTheGoddessOfTheEarth


	2. A First Boyfriend and a New Friend

Disclaimer: HI! Here's an update peeps! Um, and to my reviewers: AM I REALLY THAT OBVIOUS? Well we'll just see about that! I don't own RK & co. but everyone else.

Reviews:

Neko-Yuff16: Wow. Is this really THAT entertaining? Okay here you go! A NEW CHAPPIE!

Sapphire-Bubbles: Arigato!

Ice Sakura: Aw! Great name! My real name is Sakura! Cool! Anyways, thanks!

Kaoru-Kitty: thank you! Glad ya like!

TKDL: okay

Ss1128: Alright I updated

Mad-4-Manga: Arigato! I am glad this seems entertaining

Reignashii: Maybe his friend is or maybe not. Just read and find out. Also one word: Medication...hehe

Lady Dark Angel: Well if it is so delicious, here is the second course!

Lazy Reader: I might not be that fast but at least I update!

Becky: Alright…

Sprout-Angel: Ok. Well I updated.

Sims Are Awesome: Thank you.

DarkImp232: Glad I got you interested. Here ya go!

Cool Teen: Thanks!

Valaroma: What a cool name! And I try to divide but it gets complicated. Also I am happy you think it has potential.

Previously:

Kaoru waited till Misao was sleeping happily, dreaming of Aoshi no doubt, before pulling out her portrait of the mysterious man in her dreams. She carefully hung it above her bed.

"Good night, my samurai of dreams." She whispered before turning out the lights and laying down to dream of the samurai with purple eyes.

AND NOW THE MOMENT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!

Chapter 2: A First Boyfriend and A Mysterious New Friend

"_Kaoru!" The man with violet eyes yelled at me. A man turned towards me with horrifying eyes. All of a sudden I couldn't breathe._

"_No regular person can survive my full body bind! Hurry and kill me Battosai, I bound her lungs! She only has five minutes before she suffocates, give or take a few. The only way to save her is for her to break it, doubtful, or you to kill me and become the man-slayer you are!" The man shrieked with a deranged laugh._

"_KAORU!" My samurai's eyes turned cobalt blue and he charged the man, pulling his sword from the sheath and charged the maniac with lighting fast reflexes. His backward sword swinging at the opposing manslayer as his eyes turned amber in a frenzy of bloodlust for the man killing me _

_The maniac was finally on his knees laughing as my samurai flipped his blade over and was about to kill the man when I gave up the last bit of air I had. _

_Tears streamed down my face, as I screamed to him, "No Please don't break your vow for me! Please don't kill!"_

_He stopped in mid-slash and rushed to me as I fell into his arms. I COULD BREATHE!_

"_She broke it? Impossible!" The man yelled and then grabbed his sword and thrust it through his abdomen, and said as blood came from his mouth, "Not a nice feeling…" and tumbled to the ground, the last bit of life fleeting from him._

_I looked into his eyes with my tear-brimmed ones and…_BEEP! BEEP! GET UP! GET U—Smack!

"God I should break that dang alarm clock! Gah!" Kaoru grumbled as she sat up and swung her legs over the side of her bed. She was about to complain some more but the bright and smiling face over her bed brought her out of her bad mood.

"Good morning, my prince of dreams." She smiled at the man in the painting.

"Kaoru? Who are you talking to?" Misao's sleepy voice floated from the bed opposite of her.

"No one, go back to sleep, I'm getting ready for work." And with that soft snores erupted from the pile of blankets.

Kaoru sighed and grabbed her uniform and a towel and trudged to the girl's shower room yet again.

After the shower, Kaoru dressed in her Starbuck's uniform and drove to the Starbuck's at the end of the block.

"Hi! Welcome to Starbuck's! How may I brighten your day?" Kaoru said in her waitress voice to a handsome man sitting at a table.

He blinked his storm-grey eyes and looked at her with puzzlement. Then realization struck him and he smiled politely.

"Um, yeah. I'll have a cup of mint tea and a blueberry muffin, please. Also, could you help me?" He said with an American accent. The man pulled his nape-length blackish-blue hair behind an ear.

"Sure." Kaoru said and smiled. She looked at him softly because she never met an American before.

"My name is Akitoki Sorenzo and I just transferred to Tokyo U. Can you show me how to get there?" Akitoki was a Japanese name. Kaoru concluded that he might have lived her at a young age and moved to the U.S. and probably decided to move back. He was wearing all black and his hair brought out his lime green eyes. He flipped his hair back with a flick of his wrist with a spiked bracelet on it.

"I sure can. I'm a sophomore there. My name's Kaoru by the way. You take this block north and you should see Dorm A, my dorm, and just behind it is the main office. I get off in 5 minutes, I could take you there if you wanted." Kaoru explained and pointed from the window.

"Thank you!" Akitoki said happily. Kaoru nodded and left behind the counter to fetch his muffin and tea. She returned and left him eat the food before they left to the main office.

"Here you are Akitoki. I hope we get to hang out, I'll see you around." Kaoru said as she walked the young man into the office.

"Likewise, Angel Kaoru." Akitoki had just started using that nickname for Kaoru. Kaoru blushed as he kissed her hand and walked to the counter.

Kaoru walked into her dorm room as Misao attacked her with accusations.

"Kaoru! What is with you? Why are you falling in love with someone you only dream about? This is crazy!" Misao flipped.

"I'm not falling in love with him! I just think he makes an interesting portrait! By the way, did Sanoske ever tell us what that friend's name that was transferring here from America?" Kaoru asked after everything calmed down.

"Uhhhh, Sorenzo, I think. Why?" Misao asked curiously.

"I just met him, that's all." Kaoru said with a slight surprise. She crossed the room and looked out the window at the office building. "There he is! Look, there! With the black outfit!"

"Oh he's cute! Total babe!" Misao squealed.

"Yeah, I think he is Japanese but came from the Americas. He calls me 'Angel Kaoru'." Kaoru said blushing as she recalled the kiss on the hand.

"Oh! He looked at you and smiled!" Misao giggled. Kaoru looked out the window at the hottie walking towards the dorm and, sure enough, he was looking straight at her. He waved and she smiled and ran out of the room.

"Awww! Just like Romeo and Juliet meeting each other!" Misao said as Kaoru ran to meet Akitoki in the hall. She had to run down three flights of stairs to get there though.

"Akitoki! Pant what are you doing? Did you get assigned to this dorm?" Kaoru asked as she ran up to him. He smiled and nodded.

Kaoru blushed at his beautiful grin. It was weird, she never imagined liking a gothic guy but he was so…perfect.

"I am in dorm room 312. Do you know where that is, Angel Kaoru?" Akitoki asked with a bigger smile at noticing her blush.

"Yeah! It is next door to mine! I know your roommate, he and I are very good friends." Kaoru answered and turned to lead him. She picked up one of his duffle bags and walked ahead. "Come on! I'll show you!"

Kaoru and Akitoki got to know each other as they climbed the staircase.

"Really? I am here studying art too! And I am from Chicago, Illinois in the Americas. I was originally from Kyoto but we moved when I was little. It was after my momma died." Akitoki explained as they started climbing the second story flight of stairs.

"I'm sorry. What are the Americas like?" Kaoru asked but as she climbed a stair her foot got caught on the dufflebag strap and she started falling backwards. She closed her eyes and braced for impact but opened them when she fell against something soft. Akitoki wrapped his arms around her and she was embraced in a hug position.

"Are you alright Angel Kaoru…" His voice drifted off as he started into her lagoon blue eyes. She was stunned but neither made any motion to move. Kaoru felt her eyes start to close as their heads started to come closer…she could feel and hear her heart beat rapidly as their lips come so close together. Kaoru had no control of her body as they leaned in to ki…

"Wow! Don't mind me! But you two might want to do that somewhere a little more private!" Misao said as she stood grinning on the stairs a few feet up. She looked as if she was just heading down.

Kaoru and Akitoki broke apart quickly and they both blushed profusely and spoke in unison, "We weren't doing anything!"

Misao cocked her head to the side and grinned bigger, "Well next time you might want to do nothing somewhere else." She pushed off the wall she was leaning on and continued down the flight, laughing.

"Uhhh…this is your room. I am right next door and your roommate Sano is inside your dorm." Kaoru said, still blushing as she approached the dorm.

"Arigato, Angel." Akitoki smiled and kissed her cheek before disappearing into his dorm. Kaoru stood there and touched her cheek.

"Angel, what a poet!" Misao said as she bounded from around the stair wall. "I saw and heard EVERYTHING. Oh he is cute! A personality that doesn't match then whole Goth thing though."

"He _is_ cute. But he probably does that to all the women. I mean how much _do_ we know about American customs?" Kaoru said shrugging and getting a Dr. Pepper from the tiny frige in their dorm.

"Yeah but I saw it in his eyes! He likes _you_!" Misao squeeled happily.

"Misao! You know that school comes first! I have priorities!" Kaoru said to remind herself more than Misao.

Misao threw her hands up in exhaspiration, "I know! But you are aceing every class and you get your homework done in class! You paint a blue ribbon-material portrait in less than four hours! That isn't luck, it's skill, and you have it all! YOU ARE READY TO DATE."

Kaoru sat down and blinked. _'Am I really? I mean she IS right. Why am I so afraid to like a guy? What the heck, I'll give it a try.'_

"Oh all right. But I will wait until he makes the move." Kaoru gave in. Misao squeeled and jumped on Kaoru and hugged her.

"Yay! But first! A make-over! Those bland paint-stained clothes and that hairstyle got to go! Maybe a dark gothic look for you. If you wernt so afraid of what your dad would say, you would have along time ago, right? We're in college and he is all the way in Kyoto. Exactly. I HAVE IT! COME ON! We are going shopping!" Misao grabbed Kaoru's arms and pulled her out to the car.

---------------------------SCENE CHANGE--------------------------

"Ah! Misao, good to see you again!" A young French girl said outside the boutique.

"AnnMarie! I need Kaoru's hair done. I was thinking darker black and electric blue permanent streaks all around. The gothic make-over." Misao said as she pulled Kaoru through the doors. AnnMarie nodded and sat the poor girl down and got to work immediantly.

"Vwalla! Perfection!" AnnMarie stepped away grinning. Kaoru was sitting there with dark eyeliner noticeably under her eyes, dark black hair with electric blue streaks, dark blue eyeshadow, and dark purple lipstick.

"Wow! Goth is good on you!" Misao said grinning. Kaoru turned and looked in the mirror. She grinned a pleased smile.

"Awesome. Now let's get some clothes." And with that they paid AnnMarie and left for clothes.

---------------------------SCENE CHANGE--------------------------

"Kaoru? Is that really you? Wow! You look pimp!" Sano said as he gulped down half of a Pepsi.

Kaoru grinned and tapped her hand on the bar table in time with the music. The bar was full tonight and it was a party. Kaoru knew that she made quite a babe in the tight black pants with blue and silver flames up the legs along with a chain belt that had like 20 chains on it, and the blue t-shirt she had on that read, "Play with fire and get burned; Play with me and get a third degree." And it had a little match on it that had a silver and blue flame, and her fishnet long-sleeve shirt under the blue one. She put her feet up on the stool next to her and crosses her army boots that had silver chains all over it.

"I know. So, Sano, is Akitoki joining us?" She said as she took a cigerette and lit up. Sano's eyes widened at the out of character act but just nodded.

"Yo Sano! My man!" Akitoki said as he came up and slapped Sanoske's hand. He turned to Kaoru and almost fell over.

"Kaoru? No way! You look fine! I like the change!" He said as his jaw came up from the floor. Akitoki grinned and gave out a wolf whistle and Kaoru grinned.

"Hey, stud, come dance with me." Kaoru grabbed the dark haired hottie and pulled him out to the dance floor. Akitoki and Kaoru slow danced and just smiled at eachother.

"You know, this Goth thing suits you." Akitoki flirted and complimented.

Kaoru blushed as she noticed his face getting closer to hers and vise-versa. Her eyes started closing and she parted her lips when….

"Umph!" Kaoru felt another body hit her and they both went down.

"I'm terribly sorry ma'am." The man's voice was soft as he grunted and struggled to his feet and helped her up. He had blood trickeling down his chin and a foot print bruise on his face over a cross-shaped scar. (Kind of gives it a way, doesn't it?)

"Are you alright? You are…" Kaoru began but was interrupted as a large man pushed through the crowd.

"I'll be fine. Please miss, don't get involved." The man stood up to the bigger man and stood infront of Kaoru and held his arm in front of her to protect her. The man was so familer looking, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Himura, what a pretty girl of yours. I think I'll take her!" The taller man grabbed Kaoru by the wrist and pulled her off her feet and she hung by her wrist.

"LET ME GO!" Kaoru yelled at him and struggled but the man just slapped her and she was knocked out.

"KAORU!" Akitoki said running up. "Let her go!"

"Pest." The tall man kicked Akitoki away and knocked him unconscious.

The scared man stood up to him and his eyes turned cobalt blue. "LET HER GO." He said firmly. "She has nothing to do with this."

"Consider THIS my payment and your debt gone if I can have her." The man grinned.

"I would rather get beat by you more than enough." The one called Himura said coldly and ran at the taller one with blinding speed. He punched the man in the stomach with such force that he went flying, dropping the girl.

"Consider that as payment." Himura said as he brushed his hands off. He knelt down to the girl laying on the floor. "Miss? Can you hear me? Come on, wake up now. That's it." He cooed her to open her eyes.

"Huh? Ow, my head!" Kaoru grabbed her head and rubbed her cheek. "Someone get the number of that slap?"

"I'm glad to see your not injured too badly." He smiled. He helped her up and Akitoki ran over to her. He had a black eye but was happy and wrapped her in his arms.

"Kaoru! I was so worried! Are you okay?" Akitoki hugged her and Kaoru smiled slightly.

"Yes." She turned to the red-headed hero. "Thank you, sir. That was noble of you."

"Call me Kenshin, and no it wasn't. It was just payback." Kenshin said looking down.

Before Kaoru could say another word the man collapsed into her arms.

---------------------------SCENE CHANGE--------------------------

"Huh? Where am I?" Kenshin asked as he looked around the white room with a bunch of monitors. "A hospital?"

"Morning sunshine!" Kaoru said laughing from the side of the bed. "Welcome to Tokyo Hospital Room 216. You fainted at the bar and I took you here."

"Thank you, Miss Kaoru." Kenshin smiled. "You are an angel."

"No problem. We are friends now so get used to it." Kaoru smiled.

"I will try." Kenshin said as he drifted back into slumber.

"Rest well, my samurai." Kaoru shut off the lights not even realizing what she said and that she knows what he reminded her of.


End file.
